Predicaments
by Max and Keith
Summary: Arya only sought to drown her sorrows, but got more than she bargained for, due to a certain furry elf. Can they learn to get along? Or will Arya only be pushed further from her family? BlogharmxArya. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, we got so bored waiting for CP to write the fourth book we decided that Blodgharm needed a fic of his own. This is post-Galby, he's dead, and Eragon's left Arya. Stupid bastard. Anywho, starts off in Ellesmera. Enjoy and review.**

**Disclaimer: I (sadly) own nothing.**

Arya reclined on a rock at the lakeside, a wineskin in her hand. Three other skins sat on the ground beside her; one empty, two full. She hiccupped, her raven head lolling on her shoulders. "Arya Drottningu?" a male voice from behind her asked softly. "Wha…?" she looked over her shoulder with bloodshot eyes. "It's me, Blodgharm. Er, are you alright?" Arya shook her head. "Argh, it's those damned…. Men." She nodded, continuing, "Always just…lookin' for a quick shcrew. Never….never stickin' around….Sit." she patted the ground beside her. "Ya shee, Faolin, he, he was a great man. But then, then he goes and gets himshelf killed by a fuckin' shade. I…. loved him, that boy. And then, there's Eragon. Yup. Yup, bastard by all counts. Fucked me a good one in Illeria, best sex I'd had in years, then he heads off to Alalea…." She sighs. The blue furred elf knows he's awful with alcohol, but accepts the wineskin she thrusts into his hand. Gazing up into the green canopy, she takes a deep draught from her skin, emptying it. "Sho… you ever had a mate, furry boy?" Blodgharm is struck by the quality and above all, the potency of the delicious red wine Arya has given him. "Yeah. Her name was Sarah." His princess bobs her head stupidly. "Sarah. Sexy name. You ever fuck her?" if Blodgharm wasn't covered in fur, he'd be blushing the color of the tulips next to him. "Yes," he admits. "I fucked her." Arya shifts, and Blodgharm can't help but notice the roundness of her breasts. It's just the wine talking, he tells himself, even though he'd secretly been admiring the elf. Arya blusters a sigh. "Ah, they alwaysh walk off in the end… my poor Eragon without anyone to protect him…" she hiccupped.

Now, Blodgharm is on his second skin, and his head is floating nicely. Feeling bold, he scoots next to his princess. "But, I've always been able to appreciate a nice woman when I see one…" he trails off, and reaches a padded paw over to cup her breast. "Mmm… that feels nice," Arya slurs. She takes a long drink from her skin, tossing the empty in the lake, followed by Blodgharm's. She reaches over and runs a hand through the thick fur on his chest. "And I can appreciate a handsome mother fucker when I see one," she uncorks the last wineskin. "Best damned wine I ever….ever had." She takes a swig, offers it to Blodgharm. He knows, somewhere deep in his mind that he should probably turn down the wine and help his future ruler back to her dwelling, but lust kicks in, and he accepts. Raising it in a mock toast, he proposes, "To the lonely," Arya climbs into his lap, straddling him, steady for have just drank almost half a barrel of the queen's finest. "The lonely indeed." She repeats, and chugs the rest of the skin. Arya runs her fingers through the soft fur on Blodgharm's face. "Mm, I love a man with a beard," she says, and drunkenly kisses him. Blodgharm, smashed as he is, responds in kind, his clawed fingers working at Arya's tunic. Somewhere in his mind, there's a little voice telling him to stop, that this could have consequences. But then Arya's tunic finally comes off, and the spellcaster's attention is captured by her ivory globes. Instinct takes control, and he rolls her over onto the ground, struggling to get his tight loincloth undone.

The next morning

A songbird twittered his morning song from the treetops as the sun broke the horizon. Arya blinked her eyes open wearily. The noise hurt her head. She tried to rise, but to her dismay a certain blue, furry elf was draped across her naked chest. "Wha….? Oh, shit. Shit shit shit. Blodgharm. Wake up." She shook his shoulder vigorously "Unghh," was his only response. "If someone sees us out here, we're both dead! Dead fifty times over!" talking made her head pound. Arya shook the other elf's shoulder, trying to push him off her. He rolled over, and she started scrambling for her clothes, shivering slightly in the morning air. She washed her face in the lake, then returned to the furred elf. "Blodgharm! Wake _Up_!" Arya was losing her cool. She kicked him in the ribs. "Ungh, wha…?" he raised his head off the ground just in time to have a wineskin of water squirted in his face, followed by his loincloth. "Get dressed!" Arya hissed, looking around for any other elves. Groaning, the blue elf dressed. "Did we…?" he asked, passing a hand through his wet fur, trying to smooth it. "Yes! Which is why we need to get the hell out of here!" Arya opened her mouth to hurry him along some more, but he leaned to the side and vomited. _For an elf, he sure can't hold his liquor_. Arya seized the elf by his mane and started to drag him up the small hill, causing him to let out a most unmanly shriek. She hauled him to his feet. "I'm going back to Ellesmera to get some sleep before my mother's meeting." And with those words she disappeared into the trees, leaving a crapulous Blodgharm in her wake.

"Arya Drottningu? Are you in?" a soft knock sounded on the screen door to Arya's dwelling, but to her it sounded like cannon fire. "Son of a…" she muttered, wrapping a blanket around herself as she went to the door. "What." The silver-haired elf on the other side blinked, clearly shocked by her unkempt appearance. "Er… Your mother sent me to find you and remind you that toady is the twenty-second and thus you are to have tea with her in her chambers." Arya's jaw dropped. "It's the twenty-second?" she squeaked, her eyes widening. "Yes ma'am. Is that…. Is that a problem?" Regaining her composure, Arya massaged her aching temples. "No, no problem, inform my mother that I'll be there shortly…" she closed the door and shuffled back into her room, tossing the blanket on the bed; she went to the wash basin and turned on the water as hot as it would go. Steam rose in curlicues around her as she lowered her aching, wine-smelling body into the water gingerly.She submerged in the water, only leaving enough of her face out of the water to breathe, where she stayed until the last bubble of soap had popped, having no guilt whatsoever at making her mother wait.

Feeling considerably better, she dried off, going to the chest of drawers that had been grown from the wall. She dressed in a dark green dress that went to her knees, attempting to appease her mother by looking "princessly." She pulled on soft cloth shoes to go with it, tied her hair back and walked down the corridor to her mother's throne room. Standing in front of the tall ebony doors she took a deep breath before she swung the door open. "Arya! There you are, I was starting to worry you'd forgotten!" Islanzadi swept across the room to embrace her daughter. She wrinkled her nose. "Have you been drinking again?" Arya grimaced inwardly, keeping her mask intact. "Oh well, no matter, have a seat." The queen gestured to a table in the middle of the room, set with a teapot and small shortbread crescents, as well as other dainty snacks. Arya's stomach grumbled appreciatively. She sat obediently, crossing her ankles. Islanzadi's handmaid poured the tea, then retreated with a bow. They sipped in silence for a moment before Islanzadi started in on her favorite topic: Arya's mate. "Now Arya, there's a perfectly nice young elf that lives just outside Nadindel; he's about your age, and oh, such, _such _a good dancer." Islanzadi gestured expansively as she waxed eloquently about the young suitor. Arya, meanwhile was resisting the urge to break her teacup and slit her wrists. "Mother, I already told you_. I am not interested in getting mated and ruling a kingdom. _And that is _final." _Islanzadi waved a hand. "Why must you insist on being such a loner all the time? Faolin's dead. Glenwing's dead. Eragon's, well, gone. Deal with it and move on." Arya gaped. "Mother! That was uncalled for!" the queen shrugged. "Hel-lo, I'm not getting any younger here, and the law clearly states that the new queen must have a mate before she can ascend the throne. So unless I can somehow make another princess appear out of nowhere, it's up to you," the teacup in Arya's hand shattered. "No." she turned on her heel and walked back down the aisle between the chairs reserved for the nobles, feeling more than a little like a small child.

**A/N: So, a little bit of an awkward place to end a chapter, but I (Max) have a monster headache. Review, tell me what you think, I know this went a little too fast. It was like bam, she's drunk, bam, she's in the bath, bam…WTF? Yeah. SO. REVIEW.**


	2. Apologies and Awkwardness

**A/N: first chappy was way out of character. Anyway, this is chapter two, which takes place the next morning/day. Enjoy and Review.**

**A/N 2: I know some of this language is rather modern. If you have suggestions on how to say "I got laid" in "Elf-speak" please let me know. And yes, her hangover is really delayed, but I didn't feel like it was emphasized enough last chapter. **

**A/N 3: This is going to be slightly confusing because it's sort of meant to start the ball rolling. And the timeline is kind of fucked up between the first two chapters. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

_I did not get drunk and sleep with Blodgharm. I did not get drunk and sleep with Blodgharm. I did not get drunk… Oh, forget it. _Arya cracked an eye open, squinting in the sunlight streaming through the window. Mumbling into her pillow, she tried to go back to sleep, but her headache was resistant to that idea. She had enchanted herbs for these days, but the movement required to retrieve them made her nauseous. Speaking of nauseous, she dashed to the sink and heaved up yesterday's dinner of…. wine. Wiping her mouth on her arm she dragged her feet to the desk and retrieved the soothing herbs. Managing to only see only one teacup while she prepared the tea, she dropped the leaves into the steaming liquid and drank it down, scalding her tongue in the process. She collapsed on the bed, wishing the herbs would work faster.

Blodgharm had stumbled back to his home in a daze. _I got drunk on the Queen's private stock of wine, had sex with her daughter…. By Vrael, I'm older than her! I'm supposed to know better! Why didn't I simply refuse the wine, help Arya Drottningu back to her dwelling and inform the Queen she would be unavailable the next day? _He scolded himself thoroughly as he climbed the steps and collapsed onto his bed. He slept like a rock.

The next morning he woke to the taste of regurgitated wine. He admitted he couldn't hold his liquor to save his life, but at least the effects of intoxication did not linger long. Thus, he was able to swing his legs over the side of the bed and prepare a cup of tea with almost no complications. He drank the beverage slowly and followed it with a handful of icy water, retreating to the wash basin to attempt to cleanse the stench from his fur. He contemplated his actions while he soaked. _How could I do this? _He raged silently._ I am a fool. _He occupied his mind with scrubbing every inch of himself immaculately clean.

Arya was contemplating much the same thing as she, too, soaked in her bath. _What was I thinking? Stupid, _stupid, _STUPID! I hardly even know him, and he's almost a century older than I am. How could I get myself into this mess? _She drained the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around her hair. She stared at her naked self in the mirror while she dried her hair. _I am not the same person I was with Eragon. _She decided, almost breaking her rule on thinking about _him. _She slipped into light tan breeches and a short, dark green tunic, preparing for a day curled up in a chair with a book. Arya did as she always did; solving the problem by pretending it didn't exist.

_I have to talk to her, to apologize. _Blodgharm told himself as he fixed the soft blanket covering his circular-shaped bed. _She'll understand, _he hoped. He picked a white carnation from the flowers along the walkway leading to Tialdari Hall, nodding to the other elves as they passed. Blodgharm's padded feet made almost no sound on the leafy path. He finally arrived at Arya's dwelling, and like a general preparing for battle, squared his shoulders before knocking.

Arya heard the knock and placed a bookmark in her book, dearly hoping her mother was not at the door. She straightened her tunic and answered the knock. "Blodgharm?" she asked in disbelief. "I… I just would like to talk to you, drottningu. He said, dipping his head. "Uh, this is for you." He held out the flower. Her green eyes studied him for a moment, before she took the bloom and ducked inside, holding the door for him. Blodgharm stood nervously in her sitting room, clicking his claws as he watched her place the flower in a stemmed vase. "I… would like to apologize for my actions, drottningu." He said, formalities lending some strength to his voice. "I knew that I was not well with liquor, but I joined you all the same. I am most regretful of my deeds and hope that you will be able to forgive me, Arya Drottningu."

With her back still to him, Arya answered in a soft tone. "The fault is not all yours. Had I chosen to drown my troubles elsewhere, 'twould not have been a question of faults. We are both grown elves and should have thus been able to control our choices. Tea?" "Yes, with sugar, please." He watched her produce goblets from a cabinet silently, weighing his next words carefully. Her face was carefully blank as she turned to hand him his goblet. He inhaled deeply. "And…. If you were to be…. Become, erm, _expecting, _I trust you would inform me." Arya choked on her tea. Eyes watering, she spluttered, "Expecting? As in, pregnant expecting?" Blodgharm thought his fur would turn pink, he was so embarrassed. "Yes," he squeaked. He clenched his fingers about his goblet to still their shaking. "Is that… likely?" Arya pinched her nose. "Maybe. It can be…. Hard to tell." Blodgharm nodded. "I think I left a…pie…. In the oven. Good day, drottningu." He set the goblet on an end table, bumped into a lamp in his haste to leave and dashed out the door, banging it behind him. Arya dropped into a chair. _How do I manage to always get myself into trouble like this? _"Damnit," she mumbled.

**A/N: Chapter 3 to come soon! So sorry for lack of updates! According to the intended schedule, I'm supposed to be on chapter 11 by now!**

**A/N2: Oh, and anyone with ideas for an Elven pregnancy, please let me know! I'm thinking of doing it in an 8 month (32 week, 224 day) span, as opposed to 9 months, 36 weeks, 252 day for humans. (I think.) Chapters would probably cover somewhere between 3-7 days, so I think somewhere around 46 (yikes!) chapters total, give or take.**


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